And lizzie trinder



E. W. PHINNEY 8: L. TRINDER.

RUNNING BOARD GUARD FOR STREET GARS. No. 573,914. Patented Dec. 29, 1896.

Y Y X I Y W i I f Q (No Model.)

INVENTEIRE- m MM? K /IO r aw a E. WM

NITED STATES PATENT L FFICE.

ETTA W. PI-IINNEY, OF DEERING, MAINE, AND LIZZIE TRINDER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS; SAID PHINNEY ASSIGNOR TO MARY E. WHITNEY, F

DEERING, MAINE.

RUNNING BOARD GUARD FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 573,914, dated December 29, 1896. Application filed September 11,1896. Serial No.605,474. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, ETTA \V.'PH1NNEY, residing in Deering, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, and LIZZIE TRINDER,

residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Running-Board Guards for Street-Cars, of which the following description, in connection with the accompany- 1 o ing drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to railway-cars of that class known as open cars, and such as are now commonly used in summer-time on electric street-railways. Cars of the class rcferrcd to as now commonly constructed are provided on each side of the car with a step will be locked or positively commonly designated the running-board, which is firmly fastened to suitable hangers l or brackets secured to the car-body.

In street-railway systems using a double track in the street the running-board on the side of the car adjacent to the track parallel to that on which the said car is traveling is a source of danger, owing to the fact that the said running-board is used by passengers who stand upon the same, especially when the car is crowded or heavily loaded, thereby exposing themselves to the danger of being struck o andknocked off of the running-board by cars traveling in an opposite direction on the adjacent or parallel track or by passing teams. The running-board on the side of the car adjacent to the parallel track referred to is also 3 5 a source of danger to the passengers in the car, as it affords a means of getting off the car on the wrong side, and it has happened that passengers so alighting from the car have stepped directly in front of another car apo proaching on the other or parallel track.

This invention has for its object to provide the running-boards of street-rail way cars with a guard, whereby the running-board on that side of the car adjacentto a parallel track 5 may be rendered incapable of being used, either to get off of the ear or to, stand upon,

and the said guard may and preferably will be made, as hereinafter described, so that it can be applied to the street-railway cars now in use at a minimum expense either for ap- 5o plication or maintenance.

In accordance with this invention the guard referred to consists of a cover for the runningboard suitably attached to the car, so as to enable it in one position to extend over and cover the whole or the greater portion of the running-board and in another position to uncover the said running-board, so that it may be used in the ordinary manner.

The cover referred to may and preferably held in both its operative and inoperative positions, and may be made of sheet metal of sufficient lightness to enable it to be operated by a single per son, as, for instance, either the conductor or the motorman.

Figure 1 represents in side elevation a sufficient portion of an open street-car provided with a guard for the running-board to enable the invention to be understood; Fig. 2, a sectional detail on theline2 2, Fig. 1, showing the guard in what may be termed its open or operative position; Fig.3, a sectional detail on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, showing the guard in its closed or inoperative position; and Eig. 4, a detail in side elevation, on a smaller scale, showing a complete guard in its operative position.

The open streetcar herein represented may be of any suitable, usual, or desired eons'truction, and in the present instance only a sufficient portion of the car is shown to enable the invention to be understood, namely, the car-floor a, seats a, stanchions a end brackets or hangers a and intermediate brackets or hangers a, all of which may be such as now commonly found in open street-railway cars.

The end brackets a and the intermediate brackets or hangers a have firmly secured to c them, as by bolts or screws (L5, a foot or running board a, provided with anupright or vertical portion (L The running-board a", in accordance with this invention, has cooperating with it a guard, preferably herein shown and consisting of a sheet-metal cover I), preferablyof substantially the length of the running-board, which cover or guard made as 5 v is suitably secured to the car, so as to be moved from what may be termed its closed position (shown in Fig. 3) into its open position. (Shown in Fig. 2.) The guard or cover I) may and preferably will be permanently attached to the car, and this result may be effected, as herein shown, by means of suitable metal eyes b,encircling guide-rods b ,attached to fixed portions of the car and in the present instance represented as having their lower ends driven into or otherwise secured to a wooden or other board b fastened to the hangers or brackets a, and having their upper end inserted into or secured to a beading 12 provided on its under surface with a longitudinal slot or channel I), which is adapted to receive the upper edge of the guard or cover b when the latter is moved into its closed position. (Shown in Fig. 3.) The guard or cover 5 may be locked or secured in both its closed and open positions, preferably, as herein shown, by means of projections or spurs I), (see dotted lines, Figs. 1, 2, and 3,) which enter suitable sockets or holes in the upper face of the running-board c. The guard b may be provided with any desired number of the lockin g spurs or projections b. The guard b may be moved from its closed into its opened position, and vice versa, by providing the same with suitable means by which the conductor or motorman may grasp the said guard, and in the present instance the guard is represented as provided with two fingerholes 12 (see Fig. t) which are located substantially near the longitudinal center of the said guard.

By reference to l i 3 it will be seen that the guard Z) in its closed position is substantially close to the hangers or brackets a, and consequ entl y leaves the run nin g-board a of substantially its normal width, so that the latter can be used in the same way as now commonl y practiced, and the said guard or cover I) is retained in its closed position by means of the spurs or projections I)" entering suitable socket-s near the rear or inside side of the running-board (1,.

\Vhen it is desired to render the runningboard inoperative, the in otorman or conductor will lift the guard I), so as to remove the locking spurs or projections b from their sockets, and then carry the lower end of the guard outward into the position shown in Fig. 2, permitting the spurs or projections U to drop intosuitable sockets near the outer edge of the running-board a.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the guard 1) covers substantially the whole of the running-board a and practically renders the same useless for ordinary purposes. We have herein shown one form of guard and one form of locking device for the guard in both its open and closed positions, but we do not desire to limit our invention to the particular construction herein shown.

From the above description it will be seen that the guard for the running-board may be applied to open street-railway cars as now commonly constructed without necessitating any change in the construction of the car, so that the open street-railway cars new in use may be equipped at a minimum expense.

\Ve claim- 1. The combination with an open streetrailway car having a running-board rigidly fixed thereto, of a guard for said runningboard having its lower end movable away from and toward the side of the car to cover and uncover the said running-board, means to loosely attach the upper end of the guard to the car below the level of the carfloor and permit of vertical movement of the guard to enable its lower end to be moved as described, and means to lock the guard in its closed and open positions, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an open streetrailway car having a running-board rigidly fixed thereto, of a guard for said runningboard secured at its upper end to the car below the level of the floor and movable. vertically, a head attached to the car and provided with a longitudinal slot or groove 011 its under side for the reception of the upper edge of the guard in its closed position, and means to lock the said guard in its open and closed positions substantially as described.

The combination with an open streetrailway car having a running-board rigidly fixed thereto, of a guard I) provided with eyes I), and guides Z) on which said eyes are adapted to slide to permit the lower end of the guard b to be moved away from and toward the side of the car to cover and uncover the said running-board substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ETTA W. PHINNEY. LIZZIE TRINDER. Witnesses:

J AS. H. CHURCHILL, J OSEPH WARREN. 

